A start-up company built around the idea of crowd-sourcing reviews for software provides a source of information for educators.

But unlike restaurant review sites that let people opine about their meals under the cloak of anonymity, the system created by G2 Crowd requires reviewers to log in through their LinkedIn accounts. It’s a quality-control tactic for a website that intends to position itself as a trusted source of reviews.

The company, based in Highland Park, Illinois, ranks various programs based on adoption rates and the satisfaction of customers. The site isn’t devoted entirely to education technology, but it provides some reviews of programs used by schools. For instance, they recently published research on learning management systems. (For those who don’t want to spend $599 on the report, there is a free real-time ranking.)

Of course, the customary word of caution about any ranking: It is an opinion, based on a methodology created by G2 Crowd. That said, it’s fascinating to see who rates high in this analysis: It’s not just the long-time players in education technology. Blackboard, a well-established brand, is tops in terms of use and satisfaction, but newcomers aren’t far behind.

Nichole Dobo writes about blended learning. Most of her 10-year career as a reporter has focused on education. She has also covered stories about government, courts, business and religion. She was a staff writer at The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., The York Daily Record/Sunday News in York, Pa., The Times-Tribune in Scranton, Pa. and The Citizens' Voice in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and has been published in The Atlantic's online edition. She won first prize and best of show for education writing in 2011 from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association. She earned a B.A. in journalism at the Pennsylvania State University.

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